Do Transformers, G1 reissues in particular increase, decrease, or maintain their value? Out of my collection, I have several original 1980's Transformers figures. Jetfire is 99.99% complete and mint with box, Scorponok is 100% complete and mint loose, and I have all five Dinobots that are in top shape, missing a few weapons, and loose, and I have a 100% complete Devestator loose. Plus I have my two Kaltors one is mint with box, one is broken but fixed legs with box both electronics work perfectly. All my other figures are reissues. I have "0" interest in selling any of it, in fact I prefer to add to it and make the collection grow. I currently have 88 figures in the lot and have another 60+ on my wish list. Reason I'm asking is my Dad does not believe me when I tell him the value of these figures. He does not believe me that Transformers increase in value over time, and tells me it's wishful thinking. My question is, do they actually increase, or just maintain value? I know broken ones and incomplete ones decrease value. I'm not collecting in hopes of future investment, just out of pure enjoyment of the hobby and owning toys I grew up with as a child. But what do I tell my Dad? His hobby is electric radio controlled aircraft of which he's been part of the hobby since basically it's birth. He was a publisher of one of the earliest radio controlled model airplane magazines. Do you have same problems with your family? What do you tell your parents when you dump money into these figures and your collection? Do they not believe the in their value? Any suggestions? Tips? What do you tell your folks? How do you prove it?
Pull up a link to a Fort Max ebay auction. Tell him that same toy cost $80 in 1987. Look at him and shrug your shoulders.
Yea, that would work if I had a Fort Max. But all mine are much easier to come by these day's than a Fort Max. How do you explain 50-150 dollar or 300 dollar figures?
Reissues tend to lower the price of originals, but originals always increase in value as time goes by. With all due respect to your dad, he collects radio controlled aircraft and he doesn't understand you collecting Transformers is like the pot calling the kettle black. If collecting Transformers makes you happy, then do it. You get one life to live and you should live it doing what makes you happy as long as it is not at the expense of others. Never allow a parent, sibling, significant other, friend, etc stop you from being you. My father can't stand just about anything that I care about and we love each other, but I am me and he is him. You be you.
Lots of factors in play even if you go with all loose in the same condition and complete. Rarity of said figure : if available supply can't meet demand prices go up but its not a guarantee of great value or Increase there of. Desirability : is it some thing alot of people want? alot more people will want a Optimus Prime then will want some obscure Action master. Reissue: has it bee reissued? if it has the value of the original tends to suffer at least in the short term as many who might balk at the price of a vintage g1 would pony up for a less expensive reissue. and there are others as well.
Value depends strictly on demand rather than age or condition, though they all play factors of various sizes. Less popular or poorer-quality toys dont gain in value the way high-demand toys do, a G1 Megatron will always gain in value, especially because it cant be reissued in the USA, because the demand grows with time. Meanwhile toys with less interest, despite being of similar age like Skids, don't really increase in value much. It's not a matter of rarity even, Starscream was produced for three years in G1 and it still commands more of a price than one year toys like Tracks. This is even true in modern day, Classics Starscream went into massive demand as soon as it was off shelves, a toy that cost $10 a month before was going for $50 on eBay, despite being a new mass release toy. Meanwhile toys like Energon BTRs, which were only sold in one city for one wave as a test release, I've bought brand new in box for less than their original retail despite incredible rarity. Demand works the same way for reissues, the rereleases of Rodimus Prime, Tracks, Skids, dont really do a lot. Meanwhile Soundwave, Powermaster Prime, and most of the seekers have increased in value, but the cost is the demand for the originals goes down a bit with the cheaper alternatives. So it's all about which ones you have and what you're looking at. If your dad wants a modern example, Classics seekers or Ultra Magnus all shot up a lot from their original retail.
Scorponok...$150 +/- price point on eBay... I hoped that I've somehow hinted/answered (in a way) with that bolded sentence that you'd quoted earlier on.
I should've saved that episode of Pawn Shop for him. Then again, I think he'd still say, "Yea, bullshit." LOL!
